We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Ann Disciacca. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica Ann below.

Jessica Ann, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My journey as an author began last January when my debut novel, “Awakening the Dark Throne” was signed to a small house press. As you can imagine, I was elated and optimistic about the possibilities this new avenue would provide me. I am a perfectionist which is a curse and a blessing. With that being said, I dove into the world of publishing and learned everything I could about what it took to get a book from the authors hands to the readers. As time progressed, I found that I was unhappy with the process the press I had signed with provided. I was doing a lot of the leg work to get my work out there and to build connections with the readers and the book community.

In June of 2024, I decided to terminate my contract with the press house and strike out on my own. At this point, I had put myself through publisher seminars, taught myself how to design book covers and format manuscripts along with connecting with professionals in the marketing and editing fields. Finding my life’s passion through writing and publishing had been one of the greatest blessings in my life. Having to deal with a press house who, I didn’t feel had my best interests at heart, was something I would never wish on another writer. So, I created Dark Flame Publishing.

Currently, my publishing team is piloting processes and building connections so we can hopefully begin accepting author manuscripts in the summer of 2025. I want to make sure our system is flawless so our authors get the answers and results they are expecting. Creating systematic approaches to problem solving is something I feel confident in creating. Though, my hands are in every honey jar at the moment, once systems and team leads are in place, I plan to step back and focus solely on the communication aspects of the business.

Dark Flame Society is an organization I co-founded with my partner Sarah Wakeman in the summer of 2024. Sarah is amazing when it comes to the marketing field. We first met when she hosted an author event I attended in April 2024. A casual coffee meeting turned into a business adventure that has taken off in ways we only could have dreamed.

Dark Flame Society is located in Kansas City, Missouri and focuses on the bookish community and our love of literature. Our company creates magical experiences that transport our guests into the world of fantasy. Currently, our debut event will take place on April 26, 2025. In the morning, we have organized a large book market where we have gathered authors, artists, and vendors from across the nation to attend. This will take place at the Westin Hotel in Crown Center.

That evening, we are hosting the Flame and Fantasy Ball at the Uptown Theater in the heart of Kansas City. We are flying in cosplayers and talent from all over the world! I strategically chose talent local to KC,MO in order to support business owners in our beautiful city. The connections I’ve made with these amazing artists are priceless. Food, beverages, raffles, and other activities will be available to our guests along with musical talent that I am confident will leave a lasting impression.

From here, we plan to host two large events like this a year. Our hope is to spread to different city’s in the Midwest in order to curate magical experiences and meet new partners. We will also be organizing author and reader retreats, along with supporting indie authors by organizing monthly book boxes for our society members. The possibilities are infinite and we are dedicated to providing unique experiences for our members.

When I am not scouting talent or working on new ways to promote our businesses, my love for writing is still what sets me on fire. It is truly my life’s calling and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to share my work with others. I am currently about to release the second books of my two series, “The Dark Throne” and “Witches of Triora”. My readers and street team members I now consider my friends are truly the highlight of this journey. Everything I do is to insure they have a magical experience, whether they are nose deep in a book or attending one of our events.

My calling in life is to entertain those around me, invoking happiness while they learn to dream.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up with a big, loud, Italian family that was dominated by women. This was my inspiration for the series “Witches of Triora.” Growing up, I knew I knew the world was my oyster and I was capable of anything. Surrounded by cousins and siblings, I was never without a playmate and my imagination always ran ramped. Fascinated with the world of fiction, I couldn’t consume enough. Whether it was in theaters or in-between the pages of a book, I ate it up and demanded more.

From a young child my interested and talents pulled me in multiple direction. I found my love for fantasy at a young age. Reading followed shortly after, but art was always what drew me in. I attending the Kansas City Art Institute where I received my Bachelors in Fine Art. At the same time, I attending Park University where I earned my degrees in K-12 Education, Business, Communications, and English.

After college, I accepted a position as an elementary art teacher where I taught for two years until my daughter was born. Passionate about my new role as a mother, I took a step back from my career and focus on my two daughters who are the reason I exist. When COVID changed our way of life, I found that I had an emptiness inside that begged to be filled. I began reading and then eventually writing (something I hadn’t done since high school).

I wrote my first book in a series called “The Morn Series,” which is currently not published. The book was my first attempt at a real manuscript. I was unfamiliar with the industry and had no clue what they were looking for in a debut author. My first draft topped out at a whopping 380,000 words. After researching “how to get published” I quickly found that agents want nothing more than 90,000 words in a manuscript. Feel overwhelmed, I put the project aside and wrote “Awakening the Dark Throne”.

This book consumed my life. I couldn’t stop writing. I didn’t sleep … eat … or care about anything but this book. I wrote the first draft in a week. Unable to stop, I began on the second book in the series immediately after. It was all I could think about. Nothing had given me such a sense of purpose like this had. Not teaching. No art. Not anything. I had found my calling … my purpose. I began querying, but didn’t receive any bites.

Life took a crazy turn for me which caused me to focus on my children and put writing on the back burner. When the girls reached pre-school age, I returned to the field in teaching. I pursued my Masters Degree at North West Missouri State University and graduated with my Masters in Educational Leadership and Superintendent in the summer of 2023. That fall, I felt that emptiness begin to well inside of me. I knew what I had to do … I had to write.

I began typing once again while I focused on querying “Awakening the Dark Throne.” Rejection after rejection came until January of 2024 when I was first signed. Learning about the industry made me fall in love with this world even more. Meeting like-minded people motivated and inspired me in ways I had never experienced. Finding readers who loved my book gave me a purpose.

Being out in nature is also something that grounds me. I love to travel and explore new places. Hiking and camping is where I find I can turn everything around me off. Spending time with my husband and children is the pinnacle of my world. Learning is a vocation of mine and always will be. I truly believe once you stop learning, you die. This world is filled with so much to explore, why would anyone ever stop?

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

As a new author in Kansas City, I was unsure of the paths to follow when it came to advertising myself or making the appropriate connections to further my career. I was offered to attend a book market in April of 2024 in Blue springs, Missouri organized by Sarah Wakeman. It was the first book event I had been asked to attend and I was unprepared for the amount of readers I would encounter. I sold out in the first 45 minutes of the three hour event.

During this well organized event, I got to talk with Wakeman and we instantly hit it off. Our love for books and literature are what originally connected us. We set up a coffee date a few months later where we began strategizing about how we could host a fantasy ball here in Kansas City. Between the two of us, we had the connections, skills, and personalities to get this dream off the ground.

The next week, we were signing contracts, opening banks, and designing our business logo. Who knew a coffee date could lead to the foundation of a beautiful friendship and successful business. Wakeman and I laugh all the time about how we didn’t even know each other but went into a business together only after meeting once. Our brains seems to be wired the same. She is someone who meets my drive and ambitions. We are confidant that we can trust one another to fulfill our duties while supporting each other along the way.

Meeting Sarah Wakeman has been one of the most pivotal moments in my career.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Social media and in person networking.

During the initial creation of my business, Dark Flame Society, I wanted to focus on bringing in talent and other business owners in Kansas City. This is my city. My family. My home. I wanted to support others in their dreams and careers while creating a memorable experience for our guests.

When we started to design our event, Flame and Fantasy Ball, which will be held at the Uptown Theater on April 26, 2025, I wanted to host local talent. I’ve met so many amazing artists and performers who we’ve hired for this event. This search has brought me to many local restaurants and clubs I had never ventured to before this. I love supporting other artists and their dreams and I can truly say I’ve made many business connections, but also friendships during this endeavor.

In the 21st century, social media is a MUST! When I got published I had to teach myself how to use Instagram. Now, being a business owner, social media has taken on an entire new meaning. We use Instagram and TikTok to contact business, cosplayers, and to advertise. It makes our avenues of connecting with our targeted audience easy and effect without breaking the bank.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.darkflamesociety.com AND www.jessicaanndisciacca.com
• Instagram: @darkflamesociety AND @authorjessicaanndisciacca
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaAnnDisciacca/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-ann-disciacca-9757852b4/

Image Credits

Photography Credit: Chadwick Christopher